Titans make surprise pick of QB Jake Locker at No. 8

The Tennessee Titans dropped a surprise on Radio City Music Hall when the chose QB Jake Locker with the eighth selection in the NFL draft on Thursday.

Locker emerged as a top-10 pick after many analysts projected he might fall down the draft board following an underwhelming final season at Washington. He was seen as a potential top-five pick if he had come out of school early in 2010.

At Tennessee, he'll join a team without an incumbent starting QB. The team intends to part ways with Vince Young, and veteran Kerry Collins is a free agent. Locker will join third-stringer Rusty Smith as the Titans' signal-callers.

Locker's selection was also surprising because he was the second QB chosen, after No. 1 overall pick Cam Newton.

Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, whom some analysts saw as a potential top-five pick, remained in the green room when Locker when off the board.

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.

About Nate Davis

Nate Davis is a reporter, blogger and editor who's been at USA TODAY since 2000. He has covered the NFL since 2005. No, he did not play quarterback for Ball State. Davis' succession of our esteemed colleague Sean Leahy at The Huddle is considered a Brady-for-Bledsoe swap by most "insiders."More about Nate